


A Two Finger Emergency

by AwatereJones



Series: Bladesinger Verse [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-20 13:05:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3651408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwatereJones/pseuds/AwatereJones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ianto has a problem.  Jack doesn't know what to do with the new Ianto who clearly still had his brilliant mind locked in the body of a toddler.  I have a potty mouth an a dirty mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ianto was gonna kill him. Well, OK maybe beat him to a pulp and then kill him.

 

ooOoo

 

“I’ll just fill the SUV and meet ya there, Yan.” Jack said, pulling Ianto’s arm toward the lift.

 

“But the reservation is for 7:30 Jack, we can’t be late. It’s a three month waiting list.” Ianto hated the whine in his voice and winced. Turning he faced Jack.

 

“Look, Cariad. I’ll grab the table and order some wine. You bring your smile, yeah?” he tried to water down his demand and was rewarded with a “Jack Harkness Special” that never failed to tighten his groin in such a way. 

 

As they were swallowed into the evening darkness of the hub’s upper levels Jack tried to swallow Ianto’s tongue. With a giggle Ianto slid his hand down the back of Jack’s trousers and began to knead the taut butt cheek as Jack’s moan was muffled by their sealed lips.

 

With a quick snog and bum grope they entered the plas, separating to head toward their promised smutty evening and Ianto watched Jack race away from him for the SUV panting like a puppy. He couldn’t quite swallow the giggle at the image brought to mind of Jack on his knees begging. Yeah. Maybe later.

 

Ianto thought to himself that the “Jack Harkness Special” was far superior to the “Jackie Boy Lear” he usually flicked on like a light switch. Ianto wondered, not for the first time, what Jack’s real name might be. Did he even have an Earth name? Did he even remember it?

 

The van that sped past caused Ianto to miss a step which irritated him no end as proper posture and rhythmic strides always calmed him and he was still trying to regroup his stride when the hands grabbed his arms, swinging him around, slamming him onto the wall.

 

Ianto was barely aware that the pavement was extremely dirty and they were never gonna get another reservation before darkness enveloped him.

 

ooOoo

 

Jack entered the restaurant with a story ready to go. One that did not involve the shutting of his coat in the door of the SUV or the keys becoming locked inside said SUV at the same time. Definitely not the laughter he’d had to endure from the Roadside Assistance. Thank god his phone was in his pocket, not on the dash.

 

He shrugged off the offending coat and passed it to the hostess as he passed with his usual sweeping stride. Looking around the tables Jack realised that he really did not want to disappoint Ianto. They had been making the effort as a couple to do more outside of work and the odd snog was just not gonna cut it. He had apologised for leaving with the doctor and he knew that Ianto had accepted it with the whispered promise to rekindle their “dabbles” so Jack was a little shocked that he couldn’t see him. Shit. Had he left already?

 

Ianto was gonna kill him. Well, OK maybe beat him to a pulp and then kill him.

 

Jack checked his cell again. Yep, he was definitely half an hour late. Nope. No polite messages of doom. Reluctantly Jack called the Hub.

 

“Hello Jack” Tosh answered on the third ring.

 

“Hey cutie pie. Is Yan still there?” Jack asked hesitantly.

 

“Oh God! What have you done,” Tosh said down the line so quietly that Jack could see her frowning at the handset.

 

“Nothing. I was supposed to meet him here but I can’t find him,” Jack returned just as worried. “Have you EVER known me to beat him to an appointment?”

 

“Thought it was a date,” Tosh snorted wondering why the two men felt the need to hide their obvious attraction to one another.

 

“Yeah! Yeah, can you help me or not” Jack sighed.

 

Tosh felt compassion for the man and did a quick trace on Ianto’s cell phone. She paused and re-checked the data before taking a deep breath.

 

“Jack? His cell phone is dead but his internal tracking tag is pinging at the A&E” Tosh said and she closed her eyes as the line went dead.

 

 

Jack was beyond wound up and the fact that no Ianto Jones was registered made it worse. If he was here but not showing in the system it could mean possibly one thing if he was not answering his phone. Jack felt time slipping and for the first time in his immortal life he wished for more. More time to say sorry, more time to hold hands, eat chips on the pier, laugh at stupid Owen moments. More time to taste, touch, love. With a heavy heart he waited for the morgue to pick up their phone as the nervous nurse in front of him rapped her manicured nail on the desk.

 

A scream rent the air and a doctor approached the desk with an out of breath toddler in his arms. Apart from a pair of blue undies he was naked. Jack looked over as the child kicked the doctor in his groin and fell to the floor. With a grunt he found his feet and started to run as fast as his little legs could go. Jack sighed and bent down to help wrangle the little monster and found arms flung around his neck and little hands grabbing fistfuls of hair with a little sobbed word. 

 

“Cariad!”

 

Jack stood up in shock. He knew that word and the inflection of vowels it was spoken with. He carefully prised the little face away from his neck and stared into blue puddles or terror. “Ianto?”

 

A whimper and tear escaped the little bundle as Jack clutched him back to his chest in horror.

 

“Thank God! Are you the father?” the doctor gasped, still doubled over in pain.

 

“Um, yeah!” Jack muttered in shock, “What?”

 

“He was found in the street with no clothes on and hysterical!” the doctor began to regain his breath and decided he was angrier that he had first thought. Who looses a toddler? I ask you! Sounds like a bloody American. Typical. Explains the lack of manners.

 

Jack turned and began to walk away and felt the doctor’s hand on his arm.

 

“Oh no you don’t. The police want a word with you, as do child services no doubt” now the doctor was fuming.

 

“Back off” Jack snarled and tore back toward the SUV as Ianto’s sobbing became wails.

 

ooOoo

 

 

“Did you find him? Is he OK?” Tosh asked as the cog door opened.

 

Jack brushed past her and with relief noted Owen still working in the medical bay. With desperation he tore Ianto out of his coat and dropped him onto the table.

 

Ianto gave a shriek and then proceeded to reach for Jack who stepped back causing Ianto to topple.

 

“Fuck!” Owen yelled, catching the little boy before he could hit the ground.

 

“Ianto! Behave!” Jack roared in fear. 

 

Everyone froze and Ianto’s shrieks died to a soft whimper as he drew himself into a ball and shoved a couple of fingers into his mouth. Jack started to shake and backed up until he hit the wall and slid gracefully to the floor. Placing his head in his hands he began to moan too.

 

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Owen repeated like a mantra as he slowly approached the huddled lump on the bed.

 

Owen scanned him noting with distaste the child had wet himself and was currently in shock. Owen waved the scanner over the boy’s left shoulder where the tracking chip for each employee has been surgically implanted. Ianto’s noises had stopped and he shook in silence with big fat tears running down his cheeks. His gaze fixed firmly on Jack.

 

“It’s the tea boy alright.” He confirmed turning to Jack.

 

“I don’t know” Jack groaned knowing the next question he was going to hear. “This was how he was found.”

 

“Did he know what happened? Can he talk?” Tosh asked approaching with her hand out.

 

Ianto looked at Tosh and slowly reached his free hand for her, a shuddering breath shaking his little frame. Tosh scooped him into her arms ignoring the wet undies and started to soothe him as best she could with muttered words and rubbing his little back. After a while he pulled back and shakily rubbed his face.

 

“Toshie. I’m fwytned.” he whispered as his big blue eyes threatened to over flow again.

 

Jack pulled himself upright and took a deep breath. Right. CCTV. Something. Anything. With no warning he turned and left them folding the baby.

 

“About two? Two and a half?” Owen squinted at his equipment wondering of he should put his glasses on in front of Tosh or not. Apart from scrapped knees and a lump on his head he seemed to be a perfectly healthy little boy.

 

Tosh held Ianto on her lap as he buried his face in her shoulder. He didn’t care. Didn’t give a bloody flying rats arse how old Owen was going to decide he was. Jack left him. Just like that. He really was just a shag wasn’t he and now no use anymore. Jack didn’t like him anymore. Jack didn’t want him. He left him … again. Ianto felt his little heart breaking and an older voice in the back of his head tried to reason with him that this was childish hysteria but his two and a half year old heart felt the rejection as if his own father had done a dump and run. 

 

He wasn’t talking or crying anymore and Tosh found this unsettling. Twisting to look in to his face she realised that he was staring at the stairs waiting for Jack to return with desperation in his eyes.

 

“it’s going to be OK. We’ll work it out” Tosh soothed looking to Owen for support but he was already mounting the stairs to find Jack. 

 

 

“Well? Anything yet?” Owen asked with unusual calm.

 

“No. Looks like it happened in this alley way just a block from the bloody restaurant.” Jack rubbed his face and leaned back in to stare at the grainy images some more. “Fuck! Why didn’t I just walk with him?”

 

“Look. He’s fine. All be it a little small, but still OK” Owen said. “We’ll work it out and until then he’s in no danger so just calm the fuck down will ya? You’re scaring the shit out of the kid.”

 

“That’s the problem Owen. It’s not a kid. It’s Ianto” Jack groaned.

 

They both started to make their way down the stairs and found Gwen had arrived during the chaos unnoticed. She was trying to convince Ianto to drink some warmed milk and he kept turning his head away from her. They had managed to wrestle him into one of Owen’s T-shirts which was nearly dragging on the floor and his bare shoulder peeked through the neck as they tried to fix it.

 

“He hates warm milk” Jack muttered reaching for Ianto.

 

Ianto responded by gripping Tosh tighter and burrowing into her chest.

 

“Yan? Cuddle?” Jack tried with a hesitant smile.

 

Barely legible came the muffled reply of “Fuck off!”

 

Owen threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah, it’s the tea-boy alright.”

 

“Ianto, come on. You’re cold, wet and scared. You want Jack” Tosh soothed rubbing his back.

 

“Fuck Jack! He doesn’t want me” his little child’s voice wobbled and Ianto drew himself up in such a familiar way that Jack felt his heart twist. It was Ianto’s hurt/angry posture.

 

“Yan, I’m sorry” Jack tried “ I didn’t mean to shout at you but I’m kinda freaking out here, OK?”

 

Ianto silently turned and gave him his death stare. Coming from that little cherub face it was quite frightening.

 

Watching from the side Owen suddenly thought of Damien Omen and couldn’t help a snort. The devil’s spawn seemed the correct title for the little welsh toddler that was making the great Captain Jack Harkness shrink in his gaze.

 

“Yan? Please don’t be angry. I’m scared too and I always need you for back up.” Maybe coddling would work and to hell with the audience. “I love you, big or small you are the most gorgeous thing on Sol 3 and beyond.”

 

“Sol 3?” Gwen questioned, the milk forgotten,

 

Ianto wriggled off Tosh’s lap and stood facing Jack with his little chubby hand gripping her skirt like a security blanket. With a deep breath that turned into a shudder he looked away and after a moment of staring into space he turned to Gwen

 

“Can I have a Hot Chocwit please” he asked.

 

Gwen was delighted that he chose to ask her and leapt from the couch eager to prove she could make him happy. She forgot the Sol 3 comment as intended and Ianto’s shared look with Jack reminded him that Ianto knew more than he would ever admit to.

 

“Do you want it in your usual mug pet or do you think one of the smaller ones for your hands” she asked pulling at the cupboard doors to retrieve the needed stuff.

 

“The little wed wun pwease Gwen” Ianto was calmer now and had let Jack walk with him to the kitchen ignoring the hated word of endearment. Gwen needed handling, as usual.

 

Pushing a stool over Ianto climbed up to the counter and opened a drawer to pull out a cloth as he watched her spill the chocolate powder, sugar and knock over the salt shaker for good measure. With a silent shake of his head he reached out to swipe the mess before realizing he couldn’t reach that far.

 

“Shit! Sorry” Gwen amended, taking the cloth and fixing her mistake. “You just never let me do this. It’s kinda exciting.”

 

Ianto regarded her and realized she was right. He didn’t let the others in here … well apart from Tosh who liked to talk while he worked. Jack came to the same conclusion and frowned. Did they really not ever make drinks for Ianto?

 

“Ianto. What do you want to do?” Jack asked, knowing control would be Ianto’s best calming influence right now.

 

“well, don’t weely know.” Ianto sighed grateful that Jack was talking to him as an adult. “What might help?”

 

“I could try Martha? My friend at UNIT. She’s an ex-companion like me so she can keep a secret and maybe in her travels with the Doctor she either saw or heard something we could use?” 

 

Jack knew he was clutching at straws and the mention of the Doctor was dangerous but Ianto’s face screwed as he considered it and found he was in agreement that maybe that was an option.

 

“OK. You do that and me and Tosh will check the awkives for any mention of an artyfact that might have done this or be able to fix it” Ianto nodded.

 

“OK, I’ll do that and meet you both down there. Gwen can continue with the CCTC camera and Owen can check the data he’s collected against your medical records.” Jack rose as he spoke and made for his office only to hesitate and turn back for the admonishment he knew would come.

 

“If you want to help us don’t bweak anything and for gawds sake put stuff back where you got it” Ianto asked with his little hands clasped together in prayer pose.

 

Jack felt a rush of affection and before he could stop himself he lent down placing a soft kiss on the cupid lips that were turned up toward him. The image of little Ianto’s blush covering most of his upper body stayed with jack and he made a mental note to do an image capture of it with the CCTV footage. Tosh and Gwen clasped their hands together and caught each other’s gaze obviously thinking the same thing.

 

Ianto stopped half way across the floor as Jack got to the top of his stair and they both looked at each other. With a shared nod they went to their tasks both knowing it was probably pointless.


	2. Don't drink the Cool-ade.

After two hours of searching and muttering Ianto conceded defeat and sat in the chair watching Tosh reach into the cabinets that he couldn’t reach himself even standing on the bottom drawer (that had made Tosh squeal in terror when she turned around and saw it teetering giving her the image of baby Ianto being eaten alive).

Ianto placed his hands on the desk and pushed, making the chair swing around and his gasp of glee stopped Tosh who turned to see the little terror swinging around like a helicopter, his feet tucked up and giggles transforming his face into a typical little boy.

Gwen chose that moment to enter the archives with a plate of sandwiches and two glasses of juice precariously perched on Ianto’s silver tray. She saw Tosh and made straight for her and into the spinning chair. With a shriek from her and a scream from Ianto the food and drink went flying. The sandwiches splattered on the floor and the juice drenched Ianto who slapped his hands on the desk to halt his spin.

“Perfect timing” Ianto sighed. “I weely needed an orange juice shower.”

“Oh God” Gwen breathed, rushing to grab Ianto out of the chair before he dripped onto the files which she knew he would blame her for as well. She wrapped her arms around him and tried to rush from the room and Ianto’s shock turned to horror.

His scream could be heard from the main hub as he struggled to free himself from her grasp and she dropped him in surprise.

With sobs bursting from his tiny frame he ran from the room deeper into the archives. Jack burst into the room with his Webley drawn looking for the danger to find two shocked women staring into the dark recesses of the archives.

“What the fuck was that?” Owen followed Jack into the room.

“Ianto, he … he …. I … I was only trying to get him out of the chair before he dripped” Gwen stammered.

Tosh just shook her head in confusion. As Gwen replayed the chaos to Jack Owen began to slowly back away with one eye on Jack and the other on the archives where Ianto had retreated. Jack was asking for clarification and noticed the growing distance stopping mid sentence to stare at Owen.

“What?” Owen folded his arms and tried to look disinterested but it only heightened Jack’s radar.

“Tell me what you know!” Jack growled advancing on the hapless doctor who realised too late that he was trapped.

“It’s just a note on his files…” Owen shrank as Jack glowered over him, “may be nothing.”

“Owen, I’m not playing here” Jack said quietly.

“His psych evaluation has a note that suggested Ianto had issues with his parents with ‘undefined’ signs of abuse” Owen whispered looking behind Jack at Tosh, hoping the women couldn’t hear.

“Huh?” Jack straightened up and stared at Owen like he had just grown an extra head.

“His Mother suffered from mental illness and his father was an alcoholic” Owen threw his hands up “You do the math!”

Jack stepped back and continued to stare at Owen. 

“Look, fifteen A&E incidents for breaks, contusions and scolds within a one year period, you know tea-boy has issues with personal space. Did you ever try to hold his wrist? I can’t even take his bloody pulse in an exam” Owen pressed. “Gwen might have surprised him and his toddler response would be different from his adult ability to hide his fear.”

What? Abuse? But …. Shit. How often and they played rough? Things got out of hand? When he had held Ianto’s wrists during sex and he had made those little soft spoken pleas. Was it for release not relief?

 

Jack sighed and entered the darkened rooms listening intently for signs of life. After a good ten minutes of stealthy creeping he heard a snuffle. He froze and held his breath. Another sniffle.

“Yan?” Jack said softly “Are you there Yum-Yan?”

“Jack Flash? Dat You?” Ianto was to the left, behind a shipping crate.

Jack sat in front of the crate and tried to breathe slowly. Their naked hide and seek signals were still working. He began talking softly, telling Ianto that he had spoken with Martha and was waiting for some files to be sent through. He knew he was rambling but talked about getting pizza, Tosh’s shoes and even Myfanwy’s nest needing cleaning

To Jack’s relief Ianto slowly crawled out and climbed into Jack’s lap. He quietly wrapped himself into Jack’s coat with his face buried in Jack’s chest and his little hands sliding up under Jack’s armpits.

Jack ran out of steam and held Ianto tightly breathing in his hair.

“Someone’s sticky” he murmured into the lump.

“Don’t dwink the cool-ade” Ianto whispered and Jack laughed.

“Come on you’re cold, wet and sticky.” Jack lifted his load and walked back into the light.

 

Ianto sat stoically as Gwen and Tosh took turns styling his hair. The warm track suit was the same blue as his eyes and the white “I heart Cardiff” T-shirt was visible through the un-zipped sweat jacket. 

“I still don’t get how you found this cute little suit so fast” Tosh said to Gwen over Ianto’s head.

“Rhys has a friend who has kids and I look for bargains when I can to help with their chrissy pressies” Gwen shrugged.

“And you know their sizes?” Tosh asked.

“Well … maybe I get some stuff for my hope chest.” Gwen whispered.

“Point taken. I buy booties and tablecloths” Tosh giggled. “Does Rhys know about this?”

“God. We’ve not even discussed kids. With this job ….” Gwen sighed.

“You wud be a good Mummy Gwen” a little voice said between them as the forgotten Ianto joined the conversation.

Both women froze and looked down at the earnest face looking up.

“You don’t mind Rhys being silly. You make yummy chocwit dwink and you laugh at stuff and you don’t growl much and you’re cudwy too” Ianto said in a rush before blushing furiously and pushing down from the seat.

“oh!” Gwen exclaimed in delight.

“Wuv you girls. You’re my fwends and you wuv me too” Ianto whispered looking at his bare feet.

“Yes Ianto, we love you very much” Gwen crooned bending down to cuddle Ianto with a kiss to his forehead.

Tosh crouched behind him and they gently squeezed him between them.

“Oh boy, a Ianto Sandwich” Jack said as he approached. “Yum Yan in girly bread”

Ianto gave Jack the death stare for daring to use his bedroom name in public but quickly melted as Jack bent between tem to kiss Ianto softly on his lips.

“Oi that’s child abuse” Owen roared.

“Nah, this is!” Jack cried, grabbing Ianto and tickling him with glee.

Ianto screamed and shrieked as they rolled on the floor until jack stopped. Ianto slapped Jack’s hands half heartedly still giggling as he rolled to his feet. He placed his hands on jack’s face and kissed him again.

“Wuv You Jack Flash” he said softly as Jack looked into very adult Ianto eyes.

“We’ll fix this hon. I swear somehow I’ll fix you” Jack felt a sob clawing it’s way up his throat and swallowed.

Jack gathered Ianto into his arms again and sat on the floor as he gave in to his grief. Ianto sat in his arms rubbing circles with his little hands murmuring words of comfort to Jack.

 

Ianto woke to soft light under the bathroom door. He slid off the bed and walked toward the door, reaching up for the handle. He had opened it by pushing, as the lock was not engaged. Jack stood naked surrounded by steam looking in shock at the child entering the room.

“Jack?” Ianto was rubbing his eyes and looked blearily around. “I need ta piddle.”

Jack quickly grabbed his robe before helping Ianto lower his little pj bottoms and lifting him unto the seat.

“If I had a little step I could do this myself” Ianto bristled at having to pee sitting down. “I’m not a girl!”

“Sorry babe, you’ll be a big boy again soon” Jack soothed.

“A big boy huh?” Ianto’s eyebrow rose and Jack grinned. Yeah, his boy was waking up and the man was taking over.

“I love you when you’re half asleep.” Jack sighed as Ianto reached his arms up to be lifted down,

“I love you when you’re not being an arse” Ianto replied dryly.

Jack laughed and left to see what clothes the girls had for his little soldier. Finding several bags at the top of the ladder he knew Ianto would want to regain some control by opening them himself.

 

“Jack, got something” Tosh yelled from her work station and Jack rushed up the ladder to see what was up.

Ianto started behind him before realising that the rungs were too far apart for his little body and he sat on the bed with a sigh. Reaching for his stopwatch he settled to see how long it took for Jack to notice the mistake. Placing two fingers in his mouth, without realising he was doing it, Ianto hummed a lullaby quietly to himself.

Twenty three minutes and thirty seconds later a face appeared over the hatch opening. Ianto went to stand and then froze as he recognised the visitor. John Hart.


	3. Duckie?

Ianto froze. As hart lowered himself into the small room Ianto had no hope of hiding and continued to sit staring at the unwelcome guest.

“well! I knew Jack was a bit of a cradle robber but, SHIT!” john howled with glee.

Ianto decided to ignore him and slid back against the wall until he was in the corner, slowly pulling the pillow from beneath him to shield his small frame.

Hart silently watched this with his humour slowly draining from his face. Finally he sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the pillow.

Ianto whimpered and held fast. A small tug of war ensued until John released the pillow and sat back. 

“Stubborn little monster, aren’t you” he mumbled before reaching for the stopwatch Ianto had dropped in the scuffle.

“Mine!” Ianto said, reaching for his watch, then realising he was giving John a chance to grab him, retreated again.

John eyes the child then casually lent back against the wall and thumbed the watch open.

 

I’ve travelled the stars  
But you’re the one  
I’ll keep in my pocket

2 IHJ Luv CJH

John read the inscription twice with a frown. CJH was obviously Captain Jack Harkness but who the fuck was IHJ. Given the fact that Jack never gave him a gift like that, was not known to be fluffy and this bloody watch never left his pocket in the whole time he had known him … WHAT THE FUCK!

Ianto watched the emotions flitting across John’s face and wondered how to retrieve his watch. He knew that if Jack wasn’t here yet then he was probably not gonna be here any time soon and this did not look good.

“Do you always suck your fingers when you’re thinking” John’s question surprised Ianto. He didn’t realise he had been sucking those same two fingers again.

“Only when I’m scawed or tywerd” Ianto shrugged, still eyeing his watch.

“What does IHJ stand for?” John tried for pleasant questioning when the desire to grab the little shit and shake him seemed to be passing.

“Ianto Harkness Jones” Ianto whispered, feeling a little triumph at John’s intake of air.

“Well, well, well. Jackie boy fell for him eh?” John sighed, “I knew eye-candy would be a problem”

“Is that why you’re here?” Jack’s voice interrupted them and John turned to face his ex-lover.

Jack stood with one foot still on the ladder, his hand absently clutching the side of the ladder as he glared at John.

Ianto made a dash for Jack but his little legs caught in the pillow and John seized him easily.

“Cute kid, yours and eye-candy’s I assume by the little button nose” John held Ianto’s arm. “Thought you said no more sprogs! You know I wanted to try again.”

“Let him go” Jack growled, reaching for Ianto.

“ah, ah, ah! Not so fast! Finders keepers Jackie” John crowed, pulling Ianto into his embrace. “You denied me one before so maybe I’ll have this ready made one instead!”

Ianto gave a shriek of terror and reached for Jack as John reached for his wrist strap.

“IANTO!” Jack screamed as they vanished.

 

twtwtwtw

 

Ianto felt John’s grip tighten as Jack had screamed his name. Opening his eyes he found them standing on some sort of ship. Metal floors, walls and ceiling. Great. A spaceship.

John was staring into Ianto’s face. After a few minutes he huffed and placed him on the ground.

“So, you are eye-candy” he groaned. 

“And you’re soooo dead when Jack finds us!” Ianto replied calmly.

John was rubbing his face and lowered his hands at the Ianto’s remark and stared at him.

“What happened to you? No offence but DAMN!” John crouched down and looked into the angry little face.

“Don’t know. I remember walking acwoss the plas to meet Jack at the Westwrant and then I fell ovah!” Ianto said with a frown as he tried to remember.

“Did someone stop you, talk to you? push you? Grab you? Brush against you maybe?” John offered.

“Yeah. A think a hand did touch my showda as I fell. Why?” Ianto eyeballed John in a way that slowed his breathing.

“Shit! Still got that “eat shit and die” look down cold eye-candy,” he laughed.

“well?” Ianto sighed with an eye roll that set John off more.

“sorry, sorry” he giggled, trying to talk. “Patches. Like a drug. Happy, sad, bliss … you know? Like a plaster on you skin.”

Ianto frowned. He did remember a sticking plaster on his arm when Jack was changing him. He pulled up his sleeve and looked where it had been before it had come off in the bath water. A small red circle marked where it had been

“Did it have a picture on it?” John asked, watching Ianto closely.

“Yeah. Little Yewow duckie” Ianto frowned at him.

John couldn’t help but smile at the work “Yewow” coming from the little tyke and has to remind himself that he knew him in another, sexier form.

John led Ianto to a room with a medical bed in the centre and lifted him onto it before starting to open drawers and cupboards muttering to him self. After a few minutes he stopped and stood silently considering something then he turned with a cry of triumph and reached for Ianto’s arm.

As Ianto squirmed John started to remove his jacket, then his shirt. Ianto froze in shock then began to panic. As he felt john’s hand slide in the back of his pants and the elastic slide down his legs he bit down hard on John’s arm which caused his grip to slip.

Ianto pulled back but was no match and after a brief struggle he was encased in Johns strong arms. He sobbed as he felt the familiar slap of a plaster. 

As the room started to spin he felt John’s hands on his body, pulling at his clothes again.

 

Twtwtwtwtwtw

Ianto woke to pain. His gasp bringing John to his side.

“Easy, boy. Easy.” John soothes, his hand rubbing Ianto’s chest. 

Ianto tried to breathe again and felt John’s strokes change in time to his breathing until he had it under control. 

“That’s better sweetie,” another voice said.

Ianto opened his eyes to gaze at a woman standing beside John. It was her hand stroking his chest and he felt infinitely better for the knowledge. He hair was wild and framed her friendly face with abandon. Ianto liked her immediately.

Ianto tried to sit up and John moved behind him to support him forcing Ianto to twist away from him. A cry alluded to the pain that had caused and John froze.

“Easy Sweetie, those muscles have a lot of settling to do” the woman soothed with a small frown at John. “I thought you said he knows you.”

“Yeah. That’s why he hates me” John sighed, pulling back from the bed.

Ianto realised two things at once. He was adult again …. And naked.

With a gasp of horror he reached for the sheet covering his hips and pulled it up, the action causing it to slide and the pool to the floor. With a laugh the woman reached for the sheet, returning it to the bed.

“Typical! You said you needed your diary, why have you returned with two men instead?” a voice from the doorway made Ianto slide form the bed and as he struggled to wrap the sheet around himself he backed to the wall.

“Let him go” John waved a hand in his direction, “He likes corners don’t ya eye-candy?”

“Fuck You!” Ianto spat as he tried to contain his fear.

The lighting in the room started to dim and the temperature rose.

“why are you afraid?” the man from the doorway entered the room addressing Ianto although no one else was present.

Ianto noted how John stepped away from the man and registered a change in the air. Looking back at the man he finally decided to speak.

“He is a con-man. A traitor. A murderer and a thief” He said calmly.

“And what do you call Jackie-Boy!” John spluttered in outrage.

“Sir!” Ianto spat back.

“Ha! Ianto Jones!” the man clapped his hands with glee. “River this is Jack’s Ianto.”

The man laughed and turned to point his finger at John. As sudden as his movement was his anger. John made a small noise in his throat as he recognised his plight.

“Eh? I was helping. I didn’t do it Doctor, honest!” he babbled, eyeing the finger.

“He stole me! Right infront of Jack,” Ianto roared advancing on John. 

Ianto stopped and looked at the doctor in shock.

“Doctor? Yiou look different.” Ianto whispered.

‘Mmmm? What? Oh… yes … that. I regenerated.” He muttered still glowering at John. “Stole you hmmm?

“Someone put an infant patch on him, I had to help didn’t I” John wheedled.

“Damn phone” the doctor began feeling his pockets as River sighed and motioned to Ianto.

“come on sweetie, lets find you some clothes. It’ll be a while before he remembers when he threw the cell phone last time it woke him up” she smiled with he hand held out to him.  
“Don’t you mean where?” Ianto asked.

“No. When dearie” she laughed. “May not find it for years.’

Twtwtwtwtw


	4. “I bid my fugging dung!”

Ianto felt the line of fine suits hanging neatly on the rack and sighed as a feeling of home stole into his bones. Warmth filled his mind and a calm fell over him. The familiar smell of cedar wood and cinnamon assaulted his senses. With a groan he sank into the pile of fake fur coats in one corner and soon slipped over into never-never land. 

The lights dimmed and the air grew warmer as the Tardis gently rocked her precious cargo. She liked this one. So small in voice but large of heart. Definitely had potential as a companion. His scent was familiar so he was something obviously belonging to her now. She felt it deep in her glowing heart; this was a child of time. She started rearranging the room around him as the furs rose and shifted. Becoming a bed of sorts and the clothes she felt would suit him stayed as she shuffled through her options.

He shifted and rocked with the moving bed but didn’t wake as she decided what to do to make the room his. She guessed his colours were warm and the walls pulsed and turned a warm dark velvety red. Ianto stirred in his sleep and she hummed an old galafreyan lullaby to calm him as she continued to build his room.

Yes, this baby bird was definitely in need of a mother hen. He murmured in his sleep and she felt a surge of love as she recognised the name he had cried out in his sleep a second time with an accompanying smile of pleasure. His dreams happy and they were of her Jack. 

 

ooOoo

 

Soft hands and warm breath woke him slowly. The way the hands were pulling at his trousers while the lips at his throat were punctuated by wet tongue flicks caused a moan to rumble through Ianto’s chest.

He lifted his hips tugging eagerly encouraged his trousers to slide down. The lips that gently tasted him were soft and Ianto felt his own lips open to invite more attention. As a tongue flicked around his gums, a hand found his cock and it began stroking in that way Jack always began with when playing.

With ease he felt himself flipped to his stomach as his clothing fell away and the hands continued a gentle but persistent examination of him. Rubbing his face into the fur pelts, Ianto sighed and felt a purr beginning from the administrations of his lover.

As a finger slid down between his arse cheeks in search of a home three things occurred to Ianto and he squirmed under the addition of another finger in rapid succession.

1\. This hand was smaller than Jack’s.

2\. He was getting naked In the Tardis Wardrobe.

3\. This was NOT going to happen!

With a roar of anger he threw his head back and felt more than heard the satisfying crunch of bone meeting bone. He continued to rise and turn to face his assailant and found a spluttering John Hart on his knees with blood dripping from his open mouth.

He continued the pivot on his ankle and swung his fist as he rose and the dull thwack as he connected with John’s nose was most satisfying. Following it up with a had-butt seemed the most logical thing to do so … yeah, he did! Thud!

John lay dazed at Ianto’s feet as he snarled down at him. The shock on John’s face was partially obscured by John’s hands waving in a sign of surrender.

“I bid my fugging dung!” John slurred, spitting blood as he rose to place his now flaccid cock back in his pants.

“Your fugging Dung? Your fucking tongue! Would you rather I bit something else for you mother fucker!” Ianto roared as his fist connected with John’s already sore jaw.

They felt a lurch and then a shout of the room tilted. The door flew open and the Doctor entered at such a fast tack that he flew into John’s back, sending them both into Ianto.

With a snort of triumph Ianto took the opportunity to clamp his teeth onto John’s earlobe and John’s shriek of pain filled the room. With a shout of anger the Doctor threw John back into a row of shirts displaying strength Ianto had not realised the man possessed before reaching for Ianto’s collar.

“That’s enough of that you … you … er … barbarian!” he fumed.

“Me? Typical! You’re as bad as Captain Fuck-all! That fucking maniac tries to rape me and I’m the one to blame for fighting back.” Ianto ranted as he started to stumble while pulling his pants up and fighting for the door, “Yeah, right. Getting what I deserve for being a bloody useless part-time shag! Fuck you Very Much Doctor Arsehole!”

Before he could reach the doorway it slammed shut, effectively shutting them in.

John started to laugh and he bent to grab his knees in an effort to remain upright.

“Doctor Arsehole, Captain Fuck-all! By the Gods eye-candy I hate to think what you call me!” he chortled.

“That’s easy” Ianto deadpanned “Captain Baby Dick might suffice.”

”OI!” now the Doctor was enraged and the room became quite small. Both men fell to silence and stared in fear at the being that commanded their attention.

He paused and looked at his feet before again looking at Ianto’s unemotional mask.

“Rape?” the Doctor began again as the room returned to its natural order.

Ianto took a breath but the Doctor’s finger stopped him. He stood listening and Ianto tried to hear what had taken his attention.

He touched my little one! He tried to hurt my little sparrow. The Colourful peacock placed his hands on the gentle one, pulling at his trousers and kissing him while he was resting in my furs. I was soothing him and he was happy. He only threw his head back to hit his attacker. He said he bit his fugging dung!

The voice was soft and effeminate. Ianto was transfixed by its ethereal chimes and the giggle that followed the exclamation was beautiful.

“Huh? Gentle? Are you kidding? Look at this man’s face” the Doctor snorted.

“Where are you?” Ianto found himself smiling and looking for the owner of the voice.

 

My little bird moved like liquid gold, so graceful and strong. He’s a natural. As for the other riff-raff! He was improper and I might dump him with the wastewater if he’s not careful!

The Doctor was looking at John was disgust and turned to Ianto in surprise. He slowly approached the Welshman and looked into his face.

“Did you really hear her?” he asked with a childish glee.

“She’s lovely. Where is she? Ianto smiled.

“Oooooooo, aren’t you rare!” the Doctor clapped his hands in delight as he looked at Ianto and Ianto felt the urge to look in the mirror in case he was dressed like Alice since he was clearly down the bloody rabbit hole in front of the mad hatter.

“Hear what? Who?” John had recovered his dignity and was looking at them both with growing suspicion.

The Doctor chose to ignore the question and instead turned to face John. With a frown he eyeballed John into silence.

“Bad John! Bad, Bad John” he wagged his finger and John looked like a three year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Turning back to Ianto he dismissed John and pulled Ianto into a hug. They left the room and John sank with a groan into the furs as he finally admitted to the pain he was in. 

Who would have known eye-candy was quicker than a rattlesnake and twice as deadly with those long limbs. No wonder Jack liked him. I bet he fights like a tiger in the dark. John grinned at the thought of Jack on his knees in front of his lover and groaned again as his arousal reminded him of his bruising.


	5. This is a horse of an entirely different colour!

The room was huge but the warm air flowing around them made it feel small. The Doctor was giving off a nervous vibe and John suspected this was what was closing the area in, this man had some sort of control over his surroundings if his temper was anything to go by earlier.

Display cases filled the room with Ianto flitting from one to the next like a hummingbird amongst bright flowers. His chirps of interest and delight made him seem even younger than the man’s body he had returned to. John wondered if fragments of the child remained. 

The fitted dark brown trousers were a stark contrast to the suits he had seen him in before and the white shirt that billowed open at the neck with the loose sleeves rolled to his elbow lent a pirate like image to John’s fertile mind. The naked feet connecting that beauty with the floor really played on John’s foot fetish and he wondered if Jack still liked to suck toes too.

John watched Ianto with a practiced eye and found his mouth watering at the images young Jones called up of them both naked, Ianto and Jack naked or maybe all three of them writhing in a snake pit of lust. The memory of his chest against his cheek with Ianto’s chest hair tickling his skin was still making John’s face tingle.

Ianto’s shoulders were broader than first impressions and the brief images of the naked body he had wrestled with in the med-bay showed there to be taut muscular flesh that had the potential to be mean and unforgiving. John wondered if Jack and Ianto wrestled naked, not just sexually but as two men like the ancient Greeks. He was definitely toned as though a fighter, not a tea-boy. No wonder Jack had been desperate to keep this little Gem hidden under his pinstriped suit of armour. 

Scars had enticed John’s fingers during the growth cycle and John had recognised blade, bullet and even fire memory in the flesh he had briefly stroked while the boy became the man in his arms. Definite hidden talents and secrets that maybe even Jack had yet to unravel to a completed prose.

No wonder he had challenged John in the lift, even with a gun to his temple. John wondered what might have happened if he hadn’t used the rest of the team as bargaining chips that night. Would Ianto have left like he finally did or would John have seen this sooner? Did Jack school him in how to be this discrete, down play this animalistic fever and cover his now obvious strength with gentle speech and silent movements?

John had a sudden thought that stopped his breath in his throat. Did Jack train him at all or was he still being blinded by a masquerade? Was John privy to these fragmented moments of beauty, as the man had not yet fully recovered his adult mind? Who was this Ianto Jones that had changed Jack so quickly? Who was dominant now?

Ianto crouched to look closer at a display case and his trousers shifted to cup his butt with his feet turned up as he balanced on his toes in such a way that a low moan escaped John’s lips before he could stop himself.

Ianto loved looking at things, perhaps it was his archival soul but all of these weapons on display were making him excited. His fingers itched to test the weight of the sword he was currently eyeballing and the Doctor’s nervous throat clearing brought him back to reality.

“That cut my hand off ya know” he said conversationally in the same manner as he had earlier exclaimed that the Tardis wanted them to see one of “her” rooms. 

To learn that the Tardis had things the Doctor did not approve of was strange and Ianto was again reminded that this was a living creature; a sentient being Jack had once called her. He supposed it is not that far of a stretch to agree that there would be things she and he disagreed on and investigating this weapons room was worth the discomfort the Doctor was trying to shrug off. 

To also realise that she was whispering to Ianto was some sort of revelation to the Doctor who seemed not to be included in their silent conversations.

Another blade caught his eye, long and tapered with a gilded handle, he felt an itch in the palm of his hand and the Tardis whispered gentle encouragement to explore it further. The metal had a bluish tint to it and the writing along the blade was unfamiliar but something tickled the back of his mind like an old song where you can’t remember all the lyrics but recognise the chorus. Finally giving in to impulse, which Jack always encouraged, Ianto snatched the blade from the velvet bed and swung it in an arc around his body.

Wow. Lovely. Ianto sighed to himself as he extended his arm and felt his fingertips melt into the gold handle. Allowing his wrist to loosen and twist he sighed with remembered fragmented images of friends and sparing partners long gone in Canary Warf’s fall. Their blood still stained his hands in his dreams as he had fought to save Lisa. 

Heavy and dense yet finely folded and balanced to the perfect hand that now held it. The hum of the blade revealed its pleasure in Ianto’s discovery of it. Finally a new master that sung its almost forgotten melody.

Ianto grinned with glee as he stepped back into the main floor and began to swing for real. He knew what this was, had seen one before at Torchwood One but not to this workmanship. Having trained extensively with the T1 sword he was ecstatic to find one that finally matched his height and strength.

The loss of the T1 blade because it had caught and melted into a Dalek while he was cutting a path for himself, Lisa and those who knew enough to follow Agent Jones was still heavy in his heart but this one … oh this one was a beauty. Surpassing the inferior reddish hued T1 blade this is a horse of an entirely different colour!

John felt the air stop moving then swirl around them in a new rhythm as the Tardis altered to accommodate her little chick. The room shifted until a large matted area was lit with Ianto twisting in the middle. Ianto was oblivious to the changes, as his eyes never left the blade’s tip as he swung, dipped and moved. It began to glow a brilliant blue at the tip as it sung. Like a sparkler, it left a resonant glow seconds behind its physical presence and Ianto’s body appeared tattooed by the blue glowing lines curling around him.

Like a delicate dancer, fluid and graceful, he moved. Ianto swung, his hips moving and his shoulders undulating with the weight they distributed through the air. He concentrated on his breathing and tried to clear his mind of annoying thoughts until only the chime-like singing of the blade was heard.

John did not remember stepping forward or falling to a knee as he watched. He knew his mouth has dry so he must be panting and if his pants were any tighter he may have a medical problem. By the Gods, he was beautiful. The doctor’s hand found his shoulder and squeezed, calming his rapid heartbeat.

The tempo changed, the hum became a siren song and Ianto’s eyes closed as he lent to the music.

Ianto’s feet suddenly left the ground and he began to swing as a counterweight, his body began a slow swinging arc through the air as the blade sung. Both man and metal were now airborne as they danced through the air and his lean body bent and twisted in an un-natural way that made John moan and the Doctor move quickly toward the spinning light show.

The blade nicked the Doctor’s box tie and several pieces flew into the whirlwind to dance about Ianto’s feet as he spin in an airborne display of grace.

Movement. Colour. Ianto stopped. The blade grew silent and the tip tickled the Doctor’s nose. Ianto’s feet touched down with feather light taps and he met the gaze of the time lord.

“Beautiful, you’re a bladesinger” the Doctor breathed, leaning past the blade to look deeper into the young man’s eyes that shone as electric blue as the blade in his command.


	6. Walk away from most fights

“The Bladesingers are an ancient race that came to earth in …. Ooooooh, I think ….. the early 1600s I dropped them off, looking for asylum from the war that ravaged their planet.” 

The Doctor was searching for something and Ianto was still in shock. His lower half was visible from under the console and every now and then a small piece of electronic mess was shoved back or thrown behind his shoulder. As a pile grew around him they slowly moved back to accommodate his strange mood.

“Bladesingers? I thought they were extinct” John was reaching slowly for Ianto’s hair as he spoke and Ianto suddenly saw it coming.

With a grunt of surprise he slapped at John’s hand and John gave a hoot of glee as he jumped back into a graceful bow. Ianto glowered at him and his hand rose to waist height but then he thought better of it and turned away.

“Fuck off Hart” Ianto warned turning back to watch the Doctor.

“But your hair …” John pointed at the blue flecks visible in the artificial light. 

Ianto eyeballed John who deflated and turned away to fiddle with a piece of discarded tech. 

“Bet he really likes you kissing him with a mouth like that too” he muttered under his breath.

With a cry of triumph the Doctor began to back out from under the console and John couldn’t resist making beeping noises as he backed. River’s slap to the back of his head echoed in the room with his muttered “ouch” a beat later.

The Doctor had a cube in his hand and he slammed it into a slot in the console then turned to look at Ianto with the glee of a three year old showing you his mud pies.

A monitor flickered into life as the cube glowed. A video started to play of butterflies. All shapes and colours, flittering about in the disjointed images displayed and they all stepped closer to see. 

“Bugs? They’re bugs” Ianto felt hysteria creeping in and stepped back to stare at the Doctor.

“What? No! Huh?” the Doctor looked at the screen closer and then grunted.

Reaching out he wiggled a few things and then slapped the cube. The picture seemed to zoom in and one of the small creatures filled the screen. Everyone gasped and then held their breath like they might scare the image away. 

The camera slowly panned and Ianto made a small noise in this throat that had the Doctor springing forward to push a button and wriggle a lever so that the one Ianto had exclaimed at returned and was focused on the screen.

She was gorgeous. A young woman in a tight fitting bodysuit that was the same orange as the small glowing swords she swung. The tattoos of light formed what they had mistaken for wings. She dipped, parried and lunged as she twisted through the air and her blonde hair flew about her head as a halo. The orange faded to yellow as it cooled and the bright orange blades swung steadily to replace the fading light.

“They were a magnificent people,” the Doctor breathed reaching a hand toward the screen. “Her name was Leara.”

River stepped closer to her husband and took the outstretched hand in her own, pulling it to her lips in a sorrowful kiss. He sighed and stepped closer to her seeking comfort as they grieved for memories long since gone and forgotten by the rest of time.

“Oh my love” River murmured. “It wasn’t your fault. You saved a few, more than anyone else was prepared to do! You helped. You did!”

“They didn’t like confrontation but were fierce fighters. The war though, it …they didn’t …” his voice tapered off as he focused on Ianto who had stepped closer to the screen.

His eyes were wide and his lips parted as he panted in time to the waif on the screen. His head tilted and his eyes narrowed before he stepped back again.

“My Ma had a photo album. Very old and fragile. You know the ones, black pages with thick carded pictures stuck to them that someone spent ages painting colour onto in an effort to overcome the black and white sterility of the moment?” 

Ianto faced the Doctor and raised an eyebrow. The Doctor nodded mutely with his hands clasping River’s. Hope gleamed and he released River’s grip to wave his hands in encouragement as he watched Ianto straighten, grow and animate to match his own erratic gestures.

“There was one picture that was very old, dog eared and faded. The colours must have been brilliant when first applied but age had tarnished them.” Ianto spoke hurriedly and the Doctor stepped closer to Ianto in further encouragement.

“And?” he prodded Ianto who had closed his eyes to chase the fleeting memory.

“My Great Grandmother Lea. On horseback, not sidesaddle but western style, yeah? Seated squarely with her hair flying in the wind. Beautiful she was, see” Ianto spoke softly and John found himself leaning in with the Doctor to share in the conversation as Ianto’s welsh deepened and became melodic.

“Was she… is that who that one looks like, what do you see there?” he whispered in Ianto’s direction.

“No! Don’t you see?” Ianto turned his gaze to John who felt that familiar tightening in is gut and he silently cursed his ex-partner for always getting the cream of the crop.

Ianto sighed and straightened to address the entire room. He pointed at the now frozen image of the waif and smiled.

“That IS her!” he smiled. “I loved that picture and me Ma had a copy made that sat by me bed. My bedtime stories always seemed to include the beautiful Princess Lea or Queen or … well, whatever I demanded that night.” 

Ianto shrugged. “I was a bit of a bugger at bedtimes, me.”

“I bet” John sniggered only to gain a death stare from Ianto that froze his blood. Shit! No sense of humour there then.

“Yes, well that makes sense because it was Wales they chose as their destination. Loved the wild ya see” the Doctor began to pace as he now felt himself on familiar ground. “their planet was destroyed by centuries of war between other beings they couldn’t control or placate and they had been stuck in the middle. To find green, wild and free was a delight to them.”

“But I don’t understand, no-one else in my family has ever spoken of …” Ianto faltered, “wait! Uncle Ewan! Quite mad! Spoke of fairy folk and wood nymphs. Shit! The Fae are real, so is this!”

“Well, it would be a regressive gene, skipping generations like cancer, albinism or Downs Syndrome or … oh” John stopped speaking as River slapped his head again.

“Yes Captain! As tactful as ever!” she sighed with a frown.

John hung his head as he replayed his words and found the spite in them. Nice one. Insulting someone you were trying to befriend always worked in the past right? Dick!

“Walk away from most fights with well placed words of wisdom or cutting wit? Ever had a fight you couldn’t walk away from? Quite vicious in your actions there were you? Even surprise yourself with your controlled temper?” the doctor threw questions at Ianto ignoring the activity beside them. 

Images from the warehouse the day they discovered that poor space whale filled his mind. The sorrow that always followed these memories flooded his soul.

“When pushed beyond your comfort zone into a place of pure despair? Thought you might fail a quest? Cold, calculating and exact?” he continued and the memory of Owen spinning from the bullet hitting his shoulder sprung to mind and shame replaced the stun-gun fury.

Ianto was shaking his head but the Doctor saw the fear and recognition dawning so he stepped back to give him room to breathe.

“The thing is, if eye-candy, I mean Ianto is one of these creatures why has it never shown itself in him before!” John’s voice surprised them and he realised that they had forgotten he was there.

Ianto looked at him and then sighed before rubbing his face. After a moment he leaned back looking at his feet and two fingers slipped into his mouth as he pondered the remark.

River’s face softened as she recognised the child-like gesture and slid her arm around his shoulders to pull him into her embrace. Ianto sighed again and nuzzled her neck in a very un-adult way making her smile and coo softly as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

“Oi! She is mine ya know” the Doctor chortled good-naturedly recognising the actions as comfort. 

“Someone’s a little overwhelmed babe,” she murmured over Ianto’s shoulder and the Doctor nodded.

“Well, perhaps the infantilism and regrowth sparked something? I know one girl who had lovely silky dark curls but her regrowth gave her blond locks” he spoke to himself now and Ianto recognised that this was normal as no-one else reacted to the tone. “Quite put out she was but my god, so long and pretty. Just like our Rose’s.”

He cleared his throat and turned to face John. He frowned and John though he was in trouble for something but then he smiled and his whole demeanour changed.

“Not gone. No, not gone at all eh?” with a rubbing of his hands he gestured toward the two leaning against the console.

“Sweetie, a little help” River whispered.

John and the Doctor lent either side and quickly saw that Ianto had fallen asleep while they were talking. John scooped him into his arms and as he lifted him Ianto’s sigh cut him deeply. He had spoken Jack’s name with a breathy smile and John finally conceded defeat. This thing was obviously more than he had thought and he had to fix it, somehow. When Jack found out he was to blame for this mess he was gonna have to run like hell!

 

ooOoo

 

Ianto woke in his bed. Naked and warm with a feeling of pleasure that radiated from the warmth at his back, he moved to better fit the body behind him sighing as the arm about his waist tightened. Then his mind caught up to his body and with a gasp of horror he turned to face his coddler.

River. Not John, lay on top of the furs that covered him with her arm thrown across him and her face close to him.

“Hello darling” she murmured kissing him on the nose. “You know, I’ve often wondered what it would be like to have a child with the Doctor. At least I know my maternal instincts are there hmmm?”

Ianto smiled and reached for her pulling her on top of him in a hug that made her squeal with delight.

“Do you know where my clothes disappeared to?” he growled, kissing her on the lips quickly and squeezing her butt cheek with one errant hand before she could escape.

“Ianto! Bad Baby” she exclaimed in delight, mock slapping at him as she slid from the bed. “I’m not a child molester no matter how yummy he may have looked naked and wanton on these furs!”

Ianto laughed heartily and stood reaching for the said clothing thrown over a nearby chair. River pretended horror at his naked display and fell onto the bed on her back shrieking as she covered her eyes. The Doctor chose that moment to enter and stopped two steps into the room.

“Ah! Definitely … er … yes, been around Jack haven’t you!” he smiled as he shook his head.

“Mmmm, wouldn’t mind him around me, or me around him.” John chortled entering behind the Doctor, “We’re both quite flexible it would seem.”

His voice faltered as he recognised the scar tissue he had felt beneath his fingers and the deep slashed groves and puckered burn scars were a cruel blight to an otherwise perfect masterpiece. This boy had suffered. A lot! Yet he moved with grace that belied any pain or damage.

Now John understood. Jack did not have a plaything. He did not have a shag machine. This was a warrior’s body. An equal. God, images of wrestling flew out the window as John conceded that this was a far stronger man that stood before him than first thought and there was no doubt now that Jack was not the dominant in the relationship. He was probably grateful for anything this young pup offered. John knew he sure would be!

Ianto snorted and rolled his eyes as though hearing John’s thoughts and he buttoned his trousers as he turned back toward the bed, a joke Jack and he had shared suddenly tickling his brain.

“Are you my Mummy?” he said in a childish whine and the bark of laughter from the Doctor filled the room, spilling onto the corridor behind him.

“Come on!” the doctor crowed, leaping back into the doorway and grabbing at the doorframe like a monkey swinging around a tree trunk, “Wait ’till you see where she’s taken us this time!”


	7. Little duckling is upset!

Ianto was in Heaven. This must be heaven and he realised he had spoken out loud when the doctor answered him.

“Close! Good guess though. Heavenlee this place is called” he rocked on the balls of his feet with excitement.

“Wow!” Ianto exclaimed which further excited the Doctor and River smiled fondly at her excitable spouse.

The sky was a sunset of purples, oranges and fiery reds with golden guilt edges to the clouds. The grass was green but instead of green leaves on the trees these shared the colours of fire.

“This is where you came from” the Doctor crowed, spinning with glee.

“The Bladesingers lived here for thousands of years, extinct now I’m afraid” he sighed dramatically and River pulled his arm to get his attention.

“Extinct no more my love, one stands before us” she nodded at Ianto.

The blue tips had bled as he stood looking around and his hair was now had swirls of blue and silver that curved around his ears and down his neck to curl at his collar. He absently reached up to flick an errant lock from his eyes and froze.

“You are becoming. Don’t be scared, this is normal” River soothed. “In time you will learn to control it and hide behind your human side.”

John suppressed a groan at the sight of the beautiful warrior that grew before his eyes. Already tall and slim, Ianto seemed to be taller and his chest and shoulders much wider as he stepped in a small circle to take in his surrounding. Catching his eye John smiled softly and the grin of response showed sharp fangs and a glint in Ianto’s eye that took his breath away. Wow indeed!

“My Lords?” a voice interrupted them and they turned to greet the stranger.

A young woman stood with her hands to her mouth. She stared at Ianto and then fell to her knees shaking.

“My Lord. You are come!” she whispered and she looked up at him with open glee.

“Huh?” Ianto cringed at his grunt of shock. Yeah great! What a brilliant first impression! Huh! Duh! Might as well have farted or burped at her. Ianto groaned quietly at his outburst.

A shout from behind them barely gave the Doctor time to grab River and pull her to one side as a man ran at them with a sword over his head.

Ianto moved instinctively and as he threw his arm up his sword appeared from thin air. No time for shock and Ianto felt only rage at this unprovoked attack. Not questioning his instincts Ianto gave in to them as the two men began to dance.

The attacker was clumsy and slow to Ianto’s eyes and he danced about him like a moth around a flame. Anger gave way to pleasure as he stretched and flexed, blue light sparkling and exploding about the two figures.

He moved with quick efficiency as he swung his body up and over his attacker’s head and twisted to grab his neck with his free hand. As he spun a growl of anger escaped and the attacker froze as Ianto’s blade bit into the top layer of skin under his jaw. Ianto lowered himself to the ground, drew back the blade from the red mark it had drawn and circled his prey with open hostility as other people arrived at the scene. 

Several others fell to their knees, mirroring the young girl and others hung on to one other in shock. Whispers spread around them, as they pointed out the colour of his sword to one another more than one person began to retreat.

Ianto’s mouth was open and his fangs gleamed in the golden light as he panted with anger. The man who had attacked dropped his sword and continued to stand stock still apart from a small shiver each time Ianto blew breath at him in an open display of dominance. His fangs were long now, past his lip and dagger like in appearance.

The blue light that had encircled the two of them faded, as did the sword in his hand as Ianto stepped back from his prey in disgust. His fangs seemed to shrink until his mouth closed and he regarded the man with distaste. 

The man looked into the glowing eyes that regarded him and shakily got to his knees and tilted his head back to bare his throat in the universal gesture of submission between feral creatures. 

John was sure that he had ejaculated at some point because his groin throbbed and his pants were becoming sticky and uncomfortable but he could not move for fear that he might again. God, he was awesome. Scary but still awesome.

 

ooOoo

 

The journey to the township had been short and embarrassing for Ianto with others joining the walking party as they travelled. A small boy reached out and stroked Ianto’s arm before running back with a shriek of glee to his mates.

“Jellars. These people. See their ears? Dead giveaway!” the Doctor mock whispered to the group and River shook her head. “They were one side, the other faction were called Meggots. Meddots? Maggots? No, that’s not right. Similar in appearance to the Jellar but they …”

Ianto could see nothing strange about their ears at all and John’s matching shrug conformed his opinion that the Doctor was not really looking at what he was talking about. As they neared the centre of town the Doctor slowed until he stopped altogether. Looking around at the buildings and crowd gathering, he slowly pivoted to face where they had approached from and hummed to himself.

“Yes, the ears. Hmm. She was a servant girl perhaps? Quite young for a slave” he continued the now familiar rambling to himself that Ianto had learned to accept came as natural as breathing.

“Did Jack ever tell you what we did together the most? He called it my favourite pastime” he asked Ianto pleasantly.

Ianto frowned and then spoke the one word Jack yelled most in his sleep when dreams of the Doctor had entered their bedroom.

“Run?”

“Brilliant suggestion” the Doctor shouted suddenly turning to flee in the direction they had come from and after a moment of shock everyone followed.

“Bugger! Stupid really! Should have been paying attention ….” The doctor berated himself as they ran and Ianto could just catch snatches of the Doctor’s pants of angry self flagellation.

A noise made Ianto look to his left in time to see John falter as a bloom of red at his shoulder coloured the white shirt John had worn that day. Ianto instinctively reached for him to scoop him over his shoulder.

River shouted encouragement as the TARDIS appeared over the horizon and Ianto felt a burst of speed as he passed the time travellers. They slammed the door and a jerk alerted Ianto that the Tardis was taking flight.

With laughter bellowing, River and the Doctor slid to the floor with their backs to the door and they both gasped for air as the Doctor repeated the word.

“Run!” He quipped, “yes, I suppose it was more common than thankyou or oops even!”

“Oops even?” John parroted in anger as he reached for the doctor’s lapels.

Ianto’s hand on John’s arm stopped him and Ianto shook his head with merriment.

“He’s right ya know” he murmured to John in that heavenly welsh lit, “Running is better than saying oops!”

John felt a snort of laughter and gave in to the general consensus that it really didn’t matter. Ianto ran his hand over John’s arm and shoulder and he groaned softly at his touch. Satisfied that John’s wound was only superficial, Ianto nodded and then turned back to the other two.

“God! I’m bloody hungry now!” Ianto declared in a loud voice and he wandered off to find the kitchen.

Everyone else followed knowing the TARDIS was more likely to accommodate his needs than anyone else’s. They were right, as the kitchen appeared in front of them and Ianto’s cry of pleasure at the bananas on the table filtered back to them.

“Bananas! I love bananas!” he clapped his hands and broke one from the bunch with a flourish.

The Doctor clapped his hands and it flew from Ianto’s grip effortlessly, spinning into his waiting hands and Ianto retrieved a second banana for his own hunger. River watched the two men animatedly discussing their mistake and the running thing as she shook her head and smiled. John quietly sat on the bench and watched until a banana flew in his direction and he was strangely touched that Ianto had included him in the game.

“Is it often like that? We come in peace shoot to kill!” Ianto’s welsh monotone of the “Startrekkin” song tickled the Doctor who gave in to peals of laughter.

“Startrekking across the Universe” he shrieked at Ianto and they began to bob in time to the words as they sang it together. Laughter quietened to giggles and they reached for the bananas again.

“Jack and I once happened on a planet that seemed lovely. Women that were of a rare beauty.” John sighed as he remembered and Ianto watched intently.

“We were there for nearly a week when the first pains started. I thought it was a torn muscle from too much … um … exercise, ya know?” he winked at Ianto with a leer that made Ianto smile back.

‘Parasites. Seems the women were like black widow spiders on your planet. We were the prey” John spoke exclusively to Ianto. “Jack nearly died trying to get me out to safety. Thank the Gods for New New York. He sat by my side for three days before I stabilised enough for the sisters to declare me recoverable. Never once complained about his own recovery!”

Ianto saw something akin to sorrow and love when Jack’s name was spoken and he wondered for the first time if Jack even remembered this past display of love. Did Jack love this man once? Still? Ianto moved quickly and placed his hand over John’s. 

“It was a long time ago for him” John said softly almost hearing Ianto speak, his face so expressive.

“Spiders. Bah! Try eight-foot beetles that want to take over the universe. If Jack weren’t such a freak we wouldn’t have been done for. I think he died four times getting me to the TARDIS in one piece that time” the Doctor laughed.

Ianto’s stomach churned as he heard Jack’s life and deaths spoken of with disregard and River noted his grimace. The TARDIS made a chiming noise and then she berated the Doctor for his words.

You upset my little chick! You spoke of my Jack like he was expendable. Little duckling is upset! You were rude.

The Doctor turned to face Ianto who was quietly edging toward the door.

“Erm, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that” he said contrite in the realisation that Ianto wanted to leave.

“He’s worth something to me! He’s everything to me” Ianto said softly as he took another step toward the door. “I want to go home.”

“I’m sorry Ianto, I didn’t mean to hurt you” the Doctor apologised.

“Hurt me? What about Jack. No wonder he thinks his deaths don’t matter even though it kills me inside every time because I’m always scared this is the time it’s for good” Ianto answered reaching the doorway.

With a frown he left and employed the time honoured habit of companions everywhere. He ran.


	8. home?

Ianto reached the console room and headed down the ramp for the doors. Bursting from the TARDIS Ianto found blue-sky, green grass and sighed as he recognised home.

With a silent thankyou to the TARDIS he fell to his knees and breathed the clean air. River followed and stood behind Ianto looking around at their surroundings.

“Earth. Hmmm, TARDIS does like you doesn’t she” River rubbed Ianto’s shoulder.

“Yes but when! Hmm, Yes. Interesting” the Doctor’s voice alerted them to his arrival.

“What do you mean … when” Ianto turned to face him.

“River!” A voice interrupted them and Ianto turned in shock to stare at the woman who had walk around the side of the TARDIS.

“Hello Leara” River smiled reaching for her, “you look well.”

Ianto rose and stared silently at his great grandmother as she regarded her visitors. John stepped fro the doorway ad whistled at the lovely lady, which caused a blush to transform her completion.

“Oooo, look. She blushes like you eye-c …” River’s slap was like a gun shot and Ianto laughed nervously as Leara slowly advanced to look at him closer.

“Ma’am” Ianto said softly looking at his feet as he had done so often when addressing his Grandmother who had borne her mother’s beauty in her youth.

“He’s ours?” she looked at River in surprise, “a little changeling? Oh!”

She stepped back and brought her hand to her mouth as Ianto’s eyes rose to meet her gaze. 

“He’s one of mine,” she breathed as her lips curled and with a squeak of surprise she turned to look behind them.

Others materialised out of thin air and John exclaimed in shock. Not like him to be taken unawares like that.

They circled Ianto, touching and stoking his arms as they spoke to one another softly. Welsh. They spoke Welsh and he grinned then began to answer them. They all froze, laughed and then all started talking at once.

The Doctor frowned and turned to look at the TARDIS. She was clearly not translating for them and he had never been overshadowed like this. He cleared his throat and she realised he was not happy. Words began to filter.

“No ….. yes … a sword not daggers … only rode a horse a few times … meat but like fish …”


	9. Home!

Ianto was still in shock. Having found his people he was now torn. Sitting by the fire with a full belly and soft music lulling him to sleep, he found his thoughts returning to Jack.

ooOoo

He woke to silence. The revellers had long since finished partying and the fire had dies leaving only a few coals in the evening light. Ianto sighed and reached for a stick to poke at the embers. Hearing footsteps he turned to face the Doctor who stood to one side with a nervous look on his face.

“Look, um, I don’t normally stay long in any one place, ya know … um, we might be going soon” he rambled staring at the dying embers.

Ianto was stunned. Leaving?

“What about me?” he asked quietly.

“Hmm? What do you mean? You will either stay here or come with me” the Doctor laughed softy.

“Just like that?” Ianto felt his anger flare at the man’s nonchalance.

“Huh? Well, yeah” the Doctor frowned, confused by the anger he felt from the young man.

Ianto rose to stand in front of the Doctor and stared down at him. This is what Jack meant by frivolous then. What did he say? Like a three year old in a sweet shop? No care, no thought, just blind excitement and forward momentum.

“I would like to have time to think. To learn from them before running away” Ianto said carefully.

The Doctor nodded as he pondered this request. Tilting his head he considered Ianto with growing concern. What if he decided to say? What if Jack was waiting? Or worse still, hunting them!

Ianto finally met his gaze with a soft smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Yeah. Jack.” 

The Doctor closed his eyes as he berated himself for not seeing how strong this man’s empathic abilities were. 

“I’m ready.” Ianto rubbed his face. “As much as I’ve enjoyed this, Jack is home.”

The Doctor let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding and straightened up.

“Well, Alonsy!” he shouted turning for his home, the TARDIS.

 

ooOoo

 

The noise of the TARDIS filled the hub and Jack looked up blearily from the chair he had collapsed in the night before.

“Two days. Two fucking days and now you decide ….” Jack’s rant began as he advanced on the Doctor who was still exiting the TARDIS.

John sprang from the doorway to separate the two men before Jack could fully swing the fist he was forming and Owen’s shout of rage was joined by a shot from Gwen’s raised gun that echoed through the base. The flash of blue that sped from the TARDIS to shield the time agent was a mere blink but the grunt of pain when the bullet found it’s mark seemed to draw out the moment.

“Toto! Fuck” John screamed grabbing at the falling man.

The Doctor’s yell formed a stereo of horror as it joined Jack’s and they both moved to meet the two men as they fell backwards with the momentum of the hit.

John stroked the face of the still form and Jack froze as he looked at the man who lay in John’s arms. John was making soft keening noises as he rocked the man in his arms and he glared up at Jack. His fingers threaded through the multi coloured locks as he soothed his friend.

“And you say thing have changed with Torchwood?” the Doctor spat angrily kneeling by the two men. 

The Doctor reached for them and John pulled away with a growl, slowly rolling the injured man onto his back while supporting his head with his lap. With a quiet murmur he looked into the face of his friend. 

Jack placed his hand on John’s shoulder as he took a knee next to him and looked at the man in John’s embrace. His dark brown/blue/silver hair was falling in his eyes and John’s hand shook as he brushed it back. 

The long lashed fluttered against his cheeks. Those gorgeous eyes opened and Jack fell into them. Ianto. This was Ianto.

Jack reached for the gorgeous man with renewed horror, noting the red bloom on the floor beneath him. As he helped Ianto sit forward he saw John’s eyes widen and then meet Jack’s a silent confusion.

Jack lent around and looked at the shoulder wound only to find smooth skin. He turned wordlessly to the Doctor who shrugged and gestured at the TARDIS.

“She likes him, thinks he’s her little boy and well … you know how she is” the Doctor shrugged despairingly looking back at his wayward ship.

“What? He’s … what, like me! You said I was impossible! Why condemn him to this as well!” Jack shrieked as he rose to meet the Doctor.

Tosh had quietly moved around to look at Ianto and her eyes widened as she took in his altered appearance.

“My God, you’re gorgeous!” she gasped which brought a soft smile to Ianto’s eyes.

Jack didn’t wait for another comment, pulling Ianto up into his arms as he pressed his mouth to Ianto’s in a bruising kiss.

“God I’ve missed you babe!” he finally broke away with a smile.

“I don’t know what she’s done, not like you, I mean with his alien DNA he might …” the Doctor stopped talking as he heard himself giving away Ianto’s secret and smiled apologetically.

Ianto shrugged and grinned anew, his teeth now showing his feral side as the pain slowly subsided from the rapid healing. Jack felt him shudder in his arms and as Jack rubbed his arms Ianto turned to rub against him in excitement which told him it didn’t really matter who saw what.

Jack looked closely at the exotic creature in his arms and then locked lips with a moan of delight. Ianto closed his eyes and sighed into his embrace with relief. God, Jack was OK. This was OK. We’re OK.

Owen began to make retching noises with his fingers in his mouth and Tosh laughed at the medic’s display of disgust. Gwen shook her head in confusion.

“Ianto? This is Ianto?” she asked the Doctor who seemed the only one not affected.

“Mmmm. Well, the real Ianto. No masks or physic armour in place. Looks like Jack … well, excites him on some basic level.” He turned to Gwen with a feral grin of him own. “Now then young lady. I’m going to need a moment with you alone to discuss proper gun handling, hmm?”

“Hey! No threatening my staff” Jack laughed, pulling Gwen back.

“He wasn’t threatening me: Gwen said with surprise.

“ah, yes. I think you find the Destroyer of Worlds was about to meet you on his own basic level” Tosh giggled.

Gwen’s eyes bugged as the Doctor stuck his tongue out at Tosh with a wink and Jack resumed greeting Ianto on ANY level her could reach.

“Fuck! Tea boy is an exotic blend then” Owen snarked.

Ianto didn’t hesitate nor break his kiss with Jack as he reached back to display his favourite two fingers to Owen whose laughter broke any remaining tension.

OK. We’re OK. All OK. Oh Jack, we’re OK. Ianto smiled at his lover and purred softly in his chest. Jack’s eyes widened as he recognised the sound.

“You’re a … Bladesinger?” he whispered softly as his lips reached for an available earlobe.

Ianto hummed and purred with renewed vigour and Jack giggled like a girl at a slumber party.

“Um, right. Perhaps this is best not watched, um … yes … pheromones and such …” the Doctor felt the blush starting as he started to back toward the TARDIS.

“Yeah, come on Tosh, drink?” Owen pulled her toward the door and motioned Gwen to follow.

John settled onto the couch with a cheeky grin to watch the floor show. 

He absently waved to the retreating humans with a shake of his head. 21st Century humans were so weird. He was not gonna miss this!

End of part one


End file.
